Sweats And Sweets

I live in a place where the weather is quite schizophrenic. For example: yesterday there was howling wind; this morning I took my daughter to the bus stop in gray and rainy weather; this afternoon I picked my daughter up from the bus stop in the driving snow. And yes, it's April!

To look at the bright side of the crazy climate, it was a perfect afternoon for some hot cocoa (with mini marshmallows!) and hanging out in the kitchen in cozy sweats.

New Life

What bunnies and chicks have to do with the true meaning of Easter, I don't know. But the egg is a different story. Just as the egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in spring celebrations, early Christians also adopted it as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, traditional Orthodox Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ.

In our family, we tend to go a little crazy with colors and patterns:

For my son we started with brown eggs and did a tie dyed effect, swirling the colors together. I think it makes them look like a reptile's eggs.

My daughter is all about the pastels! Starting with white eggs, she loaded on the colors and used a paper towel to create texture (as she proudly holds out her own creation).

Dyeing the eggs was a delightful family project, as was having the kids hunt for them. But I also think it was a valuable opportunity to talk about new life. The new life that we have been given through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

Cold Feets, Hot Treats

It's surprising that since I live in the high desert, last night was the first significant snow fall this season. And that means the kids were begging to go out sledding. Technically, there wasn't enough snow on the roads for a good morning of sledding, but that didn't stop us from having some fun!

A daddy's job is to pull the sled when there is insufficient snow.

A walk in the woods is perfect for making bootprints.

Even if it is cold outside, one can always avoid those pesky sister cooties!

One good sled down the hill was worth the effort ...

... even if that means you fall down and go BOOM.

Then probably the best part of an hour in the snow is the homemade hot cocoa that the kids helped to make!

Homemade Hot Cocoa (from the Hershey's 100th Anniversary Cookbook)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and salt; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve with marshmallows, sweetened whipped cream, or for a minty treat ... candy canes!

Enjoy!

Honeymooniversary - Wine Country

I know, I've been keeping everyone in suspense about the last leg of our trip to California ... or not. Well, I'm going to tell about about it anyway.

There truly is a difference between the big city of San Francisco and the quiet,easy pace of Napa Valley. There are fewer incidences of blasting car horns and police sirens, parking is more abundant, and instead of sewage the smell of fermenting grapes fills the air. Ah Napa, where have you been all my life?

A grape leaf in Autumn.

We stayed at a quaint little place known as the Old World Inn that was within walking distance of many restaurants. We were treated to hors d'oeuvres and wine in the early evening, as well as chocolate desserts to indulge in later on. Our room was cozy with feather-top beds and projector televisions that made watching a movie a comfy experience. And since our room didn't share a wall with any other room, it made the fact the the place was packed to capacity, totally acceptable.

The food? Let's just say that I still haven't weighed myself since our excursion over a week ago. The filet mignon was to die for as was the tri tip BBQ we had after an afternoon of wine tasting. Which brings me to the point of going to Napa Valley ... THE WINE!

It may be shocking to some that we actually only went to one vinyard for a tasting. We did tast six varietals at the Arger-Martucci Winery, and it was a eye opening experience. Concentrating mostly on the reds, I was able to smell, taste and see the differences in each wine we tried. For the first time in my life I truly tasted wine. I detected notes of vanilla, oak, chocolate, cinnamon and fruit. Each wine was unique and inspiring. Plus, sitting in the courtyard by the pool, in the heart of wine country had quite an influence. It's like my senses came alive!


We attempted other places but found the admission to taste mediocre wines at a contrived castle to be too high, and another winery had a fire alarm situation, so a drive in the surrounding hills was perfect for us.

The Tuscan castle at Castello di Amorosa winery in Calistoga.

A view of the valley from a country road. Now that's a lot of grape vines!

Time with my husband away was a dream come true. Of course I enjoyed all of the sights and tastes of our travels, but being with him was the best part. And even though it was my hope to go to Europe or Tahiti for our 10 year anniversary, I still feel that I got the perfect second honeymoon. Besides, I did get to see palm trees, the ocean, a Notre Dame inspired cathedral, a Tuscan castle and walks through breathtaking vinyards. Mmm, life is good!

Grape vines at the Robert Mondavi Winery.

Honeymooniversary - More From The City By The Bay

To say that there is a lot to see in San Francisco would be an understatement. The question is, is there enough time to see everything you want to before it's time to leave? I am happy to say that my husband and I saw pretty much everything we had hoped to.

Day 2

Our hotel was in the Union Square area of town. Honestly, I am not used to city life! It was fascinating to watch the valets park Bentleys and Ferraris across the street from our hotel room window, as the homeless walked the streets asking for change. There is such an energy downtown, a combination of sirens, honking horns, and busy shoppers. Walking along the streets was no leisurely experience, I could just see the headlines "Small town girl trampled to death on Powell Street over big sale at H&M".

Our hotel, the The Warwick Regis Hotel, had a nice European feeling to it. We had a suite just above the overhang (see window with open curtains), that provided a great view of the city streets of the Theatre District.

After breakfast at a nearby diner, we checked out of the hotel and continued our journey. The first stop: Grace Cathedral. This was probably my favorite thing to see. In fact, I was overwhelmed with emotion as we entered into the doors of this massive structure. It is truly beautiful.

It's probably a good thing that the rose window is back behind the congregation, I just know that if I went to that church, I would do nothing but stare at it during the entire Mass.

Can you just imagine what the choir and organ must sound like in this place? And the way the stained glass windows projected a kaleidoscope of colors on the pillars was magnificent.

Next, since we had a rental car we had to go down Lomard Street! Yes, it is the crookedest street in the world, but I wondered what it would be like to actually live there. The homes were quite beautiful and no doubt expensive.

Then it was off to Coit Tower to check out the panoramic views of the city.

The Financial District and the very top of the Coit Tower.

The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District was breathtaking. The Roman and Greek inspired architecture provided the perfect backdrop for at least three weddings we saw taking place. And while we saw many ducks and tourists, we did not run into any Russian sailors (don't worry, that will be my only So I Married an Axe Murderer reference today).

And finally, it was time to head over that famous bridge toward wine country, where a totally different experience awaited us.

Honeymooniversary - City By The Bay

Long time, no blog! The thing is, I have been out of town and doing so much that there hasn't been time to even check my e-mail, let alone blog. Celebrating ten glorious years with my husband, we escaped to the Bay Area for some good food, great wine, a taste of city life and quality time together. We called this weekend "Honeymooniversary" since it really was like a second honeymoon.

Day 1

Our first destination was San Francisco. Our flight from Oregon left at 6:00 am, which meant that we actually had an aerial view of the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was rising. It was beautiful to say the least! From the time we arrived, everything fell into place: our baggage was easy to find, there was a (desperately needed) Starbucks near the baggage claim, there was no hassle getting our rental car, and the weather was gorgeous! Our first plan was to go to the Fisherman's Wharf area to get a little breakfast and wander around Pier 39.

Tourists weren't the only ones hanging around this popular attraction!

We were treated to perfect views of Alcatraz as the weather was cloudless and in the 60s.

My husband really likes boats, and there were ample opportunities to photograph them.

We walked miles that day as we ducked in and out of shops and eateries. And I am not ashamed to say that our lunch was an ice cream sundae at, where else, Ghirardelli Square!

The weather was so sunny and breezy, I decided I needed to buy a hat to wear for our continued journey. I will always remember this day when I wear it.

Our first day ended with a hearty dinner at Johnny Foley's Irish House and a bedtime of 9:15. Hey, we were up at 3:30 that morning so restful sleep was welcomed!

Makin' A Stink

Now that Halloween has come and gone, I have been going through pictures that we took of our little trick-or-treaters. I have to say that the images of my son are particularly amusing. He was a skunk, and not too thrilled about it either ...

Here he is reluctantly showing off his tail.

This was his expression in most of the photos ... making a big stink about being a skunk.

And here he miraculously perked up when he found out CANDY was involved!

I cannot deny that this store bought costume was more for the entertainment of my husband and myself. Whew ... we couldn't stop laughing! He walked around like he was a run-over skunk rather than a woodland creature.

We had loads of fun this All Hallows Eve as we went on a scavenger hunt at church and of course trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. My daughter received a lot of compliments on her mommy-made costume and flaming red hair, and our son received a lot of chuckles. Another successful Pumpkin Day under our belts, and a TON of candy left to consume!

Happy Little Jack-O-Lanterns

Despite being sick for the greater part of October, we finally did make it out to the pumpkin patch as a family. It is always a joy to watch the kids choose their pumpkins and run around in the corn maze.

Oh, how I love these happy little jack-o-lanterns of mine!

I chose these warty mini-pumpkins for my window boxes. Their bumpy texture makes me smile.

The splash of orange from the pumpkins is in perfect contrast to the dark purple-green of the coral bells. Our dog, Gracie, seems to agree.

Part Of That World

It was the neatest thing ... meeting this spirited mermaid. She had the most beautiful voice. Her day-glo red hair was blinding in the sunlight. And her scaly fins sparkled brilliantly as she swam in the mysterious fathoms below.

She told me all about her life under the sea. About her friend the newt who plays the flute and about a carp who plays the harp ...
...she described her secret underwater grotto where she keeps all of her human treasures ...

... and she sang about her deep longings to be a part of our world ...

But with such lovely fins, it's hard to understand why she would want to become one of us.

Mother/Son/Pumpkin Date

One of the benefits of my daughter going to school is that I get to spend more time with my son. There are times where he is easily overshadowed by his big sister who has a big personality, and I have enjoyed getting to know him better.

Today we went on a mother/son date to the pumpkin patch. Along with a few other moms and kids from church, we had exclusive reign over the farm. And boy did we have fun ...

... picking out the perfect pumpkin ...

... and thinking that this smiley scarecrow couldn't scare anything away...

... and eating our lunch on a bale of hay while the kids rummaged through bins of knobby gourds. We have yet to go out to the patch as a family, but I am grateful for the time I had with just my boy.

Sketching Fins

SuperCat Rangi already knows what she is going to be for Halloween!

Here we are almost a week into October and I am suddenly feeling the crunch to get costumes for the kids! My son could care less what he will be, but my daughter is BIG on dressing up to go door-to-door to show off her latest getup. And since she seems to have the terrible flu that is going around, having her home makes this week the perfect time to get started.

I do this to myself every year ... I have to make or assemble a costume to top all others and this year will be no exception. Last year I was pretty pleased with the job I did on her Tinkerbell costume, but this time we are going extravagant: Ariel the Little Mermaid!

Now if you will excuse me, I have to figure out how to make a mermaid costume - complete with fins - that is modest, warm and that she can walk in. Hmm ... thank heavens for flesh colored polar fleece!

Saturday In The Park

The last couple of days, a certain song has been playing over and over in my head: Saturday in the Park by Chicago. It just seems like a very fitting song for my day at the park with family I had this last weekend.

Now, I don't recall there being a "man selling ice cream" and it was the 11th of July instead of "the Fourth of July", but it was a "real celebration"! It was great fun meeting up with my mom, my two sisters and brother-in-law. There was picnicking, playing, smelling of the roses, laughing and chatting. Since members of my family are spread out between Oregon and Colorado, it is a rare treat to come together. It is my hope that the next time we gather that everyone could be there. We just need more reasons to celebrate, that's all!

It was warm and overcast on this day, which made for ideal conditions to take photos, walk around, play with ladybugs, and wear sandals and shorts. Unfortunately, my son got some gravel in his sandals (as seen in the lower middle image).

Here my sisters and I pose (silly, and then serious) for a rare photo of the three of us. And yes, we are related though we look so different!

A wonderful family portrait (and very lucky that everyone was smiling)!

Ah, it was a good day indeed.